


I Got Your Back (Through Hell and High Water)

by msladybug019



Series: Just the Two of Us [1]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M, boyfriend neo, brothers chasang, the rest are not there, theres like one mention of hongbin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-10-04 07:11:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10271114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msladybug019/pseuds/msladybug019
Summary: Hyuk gets into trouble at school and he doesn't want Hakyeon to found out so he ran. Hakyeon freaked out and asked Taekwoon for help. Hyuk and Taekwoon had a talk. They go home. Hyuk and Hakyeon had a talk.





	

**Author's Note:**

> i just want brothers chasang in something a little bit angsty with a lot of brotherly fluff. here's my take on them as brothers going through a problem and solving it together. enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sanghyuk was pretty sure he was not supposed to be at a road-side bar at eleven on a school night, but the _ahjumma_  who served him two bottles of soju already does not seem to realize that the boy she’s been serving for the past hour was wearing a school uniform under his coat and certainly does not look old enough to drink. Even if she does know, she obviously turned a blind eye on that fact. She probably had a lot of high school kids under her tent already that she just became unfazed by that fact, law be damned. Sanghyuk was certainly not the only minor drinking that night: he could recognize a few soccer player from neighboring high school drinking on one corner. Though they were not wearing uniform and they were clearly having a much better time than Sanghyuk, laughing and roughhousing each other and all. 

 

Sanghyuk sighed and downed another shot, wincing at the burn from drinking too fast. 

 

While he’s pretty certain that he had a high tolerance for alcohol and he could go home just fine after he finished his second, or probably his third bottle, he wasn’t sure he _want_  to come home. He probably should, Hakyeon would be worried sick by now. Knowing his brother, he probably would’ve called the police already. His brother freaked out over the smallest things and him not being home this late on a weekday without any prior notice was probably high in the list of things that would freak Hakyeon out, and it wasn’t like coming home does not look nice either. Winter came pretty late and by February, it was still freezing cold. His coat was thick enough but the heater at home seemed way better.

 

But then the cuts and bruises on his face started to sting and Sanghyuk thought that he could stand the cold for a couple more hours, at least until he mustered the courage to come home and face his brother.

 

His brother, Sanghyuk scoffed to himself and pour himself another shot. He never thought there would come a day when he would fear coming home to his _brother_ , but here he was, bruised and battered, drinking alone and freezing to his bone.

 

“Hyuk-ie?!”

 

The shot glass freeze on his lips, almost spilling. He knew that voice. But if the owner of that voice was here, then his brother mustn’t have been far. He turned his head so fast he was sure he added whiplash to the list of his injuries and came face to face with a familiar figure. 

 

“Taekwoon hyung?” 

 

Said man stride to where he sat and stood next to him, warily eyeing his face and the bottles of soju on his table. He opened his mouth and closed it again, as if wanting to say something but not sure of where to start. Sanghyuk looked around, expecting his brother to come around too, but there was no one else.

 

“Are you-“

 

“I'm alone. I told Hakyeon to stay at home. He’s been looking for you all afternoon, he’s exhausted,” Taekwoon’s quiet voice came out with no sense of hostility nor anger, but Sanghyuk felt his stomach twist at that. 

 

“Well, he shouldn’t have. I’m old enough to stay out this late,” He bit back, pulling away from Taekwoon’s stare and went on to pour a shot he failed to drink earlier. Taekwoon pulled the bottle away before he could get a hold of it.

 

“Did you get into a fight?” He asked softly as he sat in front of Sanghyuk.

 

“No, I punched my self until I bleed because I’m such a loser,” He replied, sarcasm dripping from his words.

 

Taekwoon sighs. “Hakyeon tried calling you. What happened to your phone?”

 

He reached into his pocket and throw his phone, or whats left of it, on the table. The screen cracked so bad some of its pieces fell on the table when he threw it, the metal casing jutting out where it wasn’t supposed to be.

 

An understanding dawned upon Taekwoon’s face and Sanghyuk hate the sympathetic look the older started to gave him.

 

“Hakyeon is worried sick, you know. He called me crying that you haven’t came home and he doesn’t know where you are. He was so worried something happened to you since his calls never came through,”

 

Sanghyuk felt like crying. He hates it when his brother is crying, he looks ugly and its annoying. But it also does awful things to his stomach and he felt like he wanted to punch whoever make him cry.

 

“I told him to stay home and I can get a few of my friends at the station to come with me looking for you,” Taekwoon took out his phone. “I better told Hakyeon that I’ve found you,”

 

“No, don’t,” 

 

Taekwoon froze. "Don't what?"

 

"Don't tell him you've found me,"

 

Silence followed as Taekwoon tried to process what Sanghyuk had said.

 

“You don’t want me to tell your brother, who is worried sick about you and is probably still crying right now, that I have found you _alive_?” Taekwoon asked, starting to get irritated. 

 

No answer came out of Sanghyuk so Taekwoon continued.

 

“Hyuk-ah, he was scared you were hurt out there somewhere or worse, _dead_ , and you don’t want me to tell him the one thing that could relieve him of that fear?”

 

The younger bit his lip so hard he was sure he got it bleeding again. 

 

“He would’ve liked it better knowing you got scared of coming home because you got into a fight than not knowing where you are and thinking you are dead,” 

 

“No,” Sanghyuk shook his head stubbornly. “No, you don’t get it,”

 

“Well, tell me then, ‘cause Hakyeon have had no rest since coming home today and he got an early shift tomorrow and I’ve had to promise my lieutenant that I will work two shift tomorrow so I could come looking for you today only to find you here drinking and acting like a five year old with a tantrum,” Taekwoon scolded, getting irritated. His word were meant to hurt and it hit him everywhere its supposed to be. 

 

And Sanghyuk broke. 

 

“I got suspended, okay?!” He started loud enough that it turned a couple heads around. “I punched a couple of seniors for hitting my friend and it turns out one of them had a mother on the school board who doesn’t want to take my word that his perfect son is capable of being a bully and decided that I started a fight just because I like it. So they got away and I got suspended. They don’t even care that I’m an honor’s student who got in on a partial scholarship and I might even get expelled just because of this and I can’t come home because- I can’t come home-“

 

He could see Hakyeon standing there in his nurse outfit, face gaunt and tired from working all day, yet it somehow lights up every time he sees him, as he asked about Sanghyuk’s day and in turn telling him about all the antics his fellow nurses pulled that day. On the weekends he would come home with two cups of chocolate: hot in the winter and iced in the summer. And they would watch late night tv sipping on their drinks while talking about this and that, sometimes Taekwoon is there too. It has been like that for almost four years, since their parents died. His brother took up two jobs to support Sanghyuk and while Sanghyuk had asked multiple times to take on a part-time job to help, Hakyeon always refused, telling him to focus on his study. ‘ _You can pay me back when you graduated from a good university and got a job with a good pay later’_ Hakyeon had joked once, only a few months after their parents died, on the way back from his old school when Sanghyuk got suspended from fighting and Hakyeon got called to school. Hakyeon was ready to beg on his knees that day to make sure Sanghyuk stayed in school, but he guessed that their family story was sad enough that the principal took pity on them and deciding on suspending Sanghyuk instead of expelling him. And Sanghyuk was- _is-_  determined to make that happen, to pay his brother back for all he’d done for him, no matter what. So he worked his ass off from that day on. Getting his record straight and graduating middle school with almost a perfect score, which enabled him to get into one of the best high school in Seoul on a partial scholarship. 

 

That’s why he don’t want to come home, where his brother is. He can’t stand coming home and seeing the disappointment in his brother’s face when he told him that he got into a fight again, when he had promised Hakyeon he’d stop all those years ago, and this time he might get expelled. After all the things his brother did to get him into such a prestigious school, all to boost his chance of getting into Seoul University as he always dreamed of: even though Hakyeon himself had to scrape his dream of becoming a doctor when their parents died, so he could support his only brother and instead get him a chance at his dream instead of his own. 

 

“Hyung, I can’t come home and show him how much of a disappointment I turned to be,” He sobs and later, he will blame this on the alcohol but right then, all his fear and worries came up to the surface and it got so overwhelming he need to let it out somehow. 

 

“Hyuk-ah,” Taekwoon started softly, looking fondly at the crying boy in front of him. “Hakyeon would never be disappointed in you, especially when you did nothing wrong”

 

“I could’ve just walked away! Then the fight wouldn’t happen and I would still have a chance at graduating with a perfect record and getting into Seoul Uni,” He replied through his tears.

 

“I don’t think you could just walk away from such injustice. I know your parents and Hakyeon raised you better than that,” The older tried to reason. He smiled a little before continuing. “I know you are better than that, and that’s why the fight happened in the first place. You were just trying to help,"

 

Sanghyuk continued to cry silently, his tears hits every single wound on his face and it stings yet he let it be.

 

“You know what, I think at this moment, you not coming home would anger him more than you coming home with a bruised face and an explanation,” Taekwoon continued.

 

“I can’t get expelled, hyung. It’s only a few months away before senior year and if I had to move with a record, I would never get into Seoul Uni. Hell, I wouldn’t have been able to get to any university with that kind of record,” Sanghyuk answered as he wiped his tears on his sleeves, looking absolutely pitiful that Taekwoon can’t help but to chuckle at that.

 

Hyuk sent him an irritated glare as if questioning him how could Taekwoon _laugh_  when Sanghyuk had just poured his heart out.

 

“Sorry, it was just- I spend the whole afternoon listening to all of Hakyeons ridiculous worries from you getting a girl pregnant to you getting involved in a drug trafficking ring and being sold to the mafia to you being _dead_  and just knowing that you haven’t even mess up that much got me so relieved,” He smiled, relief clear on his voice.

 

“You and your brother are more alike than people gave you guys credit for, you know,” Taekwoon said fondly, offering Sanghyuk his handkerchief which the younger took gratefully. “You guys worry too much. Hakyeon is just more vocal about it, while you kept it all inside,”

 

“Hyung,”

 

“Hyuk-ah, listen to me, Hakyeon is not and will never be disappointed in you. He probably would’ve liked it better if you don’t try to solve a problem with violence, sure, but between you and me, I think this one calls for it, yeah? And you were just helping your friend, he would’ve understand. You know, he told me how closed up you have became since you get into high school he almost got me spying on him just in case you got into something bad at school. He would’ve like it if you could tell him about your worries just like how he told you about his. He just wants you to trust him. Believe me, at this point, he wouldn’t really care of how much of a mess you get into as long as you come home. You’re the only family he’s got left, Sanghyuk-ah,” Taekwoon offer him his handkerchief, still smiling.

 

It got quiet after that, the buzz around them started again when they realized he’s probably just a drunk kid getting in trouble with a police officer. Hyuk just notice by now that the kids sitting on the corner were gone and there were more old men in suits filling up the table.

 

“So, are you okay?” Taekwoon asked, pointing to his face when he finally calmed down.

 

Sanghyuk gave out a little nod. “I think I sprained my wrist but the school nurse said it should be okay in a few days,”

 

The wind blew hard, blowing the flaps of the tent and knocking down a few plastic utensils in the tent. Sanghyuk shivered. He noticed Taekwoon texting someone, probably Hakyeon.

 

“I told him we’re coming home now,” Taekwoon stand up. “You coming?”

 

The question was rhetorical because they both know Sanghyuk is coming home with Taekwoon whether he liked it or not, but Sanghyuk didn’t find himself dreading it as much anymore.

 

“Yeah,” He followed, gathering his belongings. “Hyung?”

 

Taekwoon turned to him.

 

“Thanks for listening,”

 

Taekwoon smiled. “Anytime,”

 

“Oh, and hyung?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I don’t bring any money,”

 

They both laugh. Sanghyuk got there on a whim after the principal told him to bring his brother to school tomorrow, forgetting that he still had his bag in his locker. 

 

Taekwoon took out his wallet and pay the _ahjumma_  who still got the same unfazed look on her face. 

 

“You owe me one,” He said as they begin the walking to the subway station.

 

 

 

 

**X                       X                        X**

 

 

Hakyeon woke up with a gasp, not realizing he had fallen asleep on the couch, and he find the suffocating worry he’s had since this afternoon hasn’t gone away. He felt like crying again, but he stop himself before he could. Crying wouldn’t help him find Sanghyuk. He spent the afternoon questioning every action and life choices he’s made, wondering whether he accidentally said or do something that hurt his brother. But they tease each other on a daily basis and it has never been a problem. His mind wander again to the worst possible scenarios and he had to physically shake his head to get rid of it, as if the action helped. 

 

Then he realized that the bell had been constantly ringing: it was the sound that woke him up earlier. He stood up groggily, his head cloudy and his body weary. As he got closer to the door, he could faintly hear Taekwoon’s voice calling him. He couldn’t hear the voice he had wanted to, though, and his hope crashed before it even got up.

 

He unlatched the chain lock and throw himself on his boyfriend’s embrace, needing the comfort. 

 

“Hey,” The other’s voice soft as he held him close. 

 

“I tried calling the school,” He mumbled into Taekwoon’s shirt, not realizing someone behind them had gone rigid on that one sentence. “But nobody answered, of course. Who would still be there at this hour? I don’t know why I did not think of this before, I should’ve called the school first thing. And then I wanted to call Sungjae but then I realized I don’t have his number. Woon-ah, I don’t even have my brother’s best friends’ number. What kind of brother am I?”

 

Hakyeon's voice trembled near the end and Taekwoon panicked, not wanting the other to cry again before he realized that Hakyeon haven’t seen Sanghyuk standing behind them.

 

“Oh, no, no, don’t cry again,” He let Hakyeon go from his embrace and hold him at arms length. “You didn’t get my text, did you? Look who’s here,”

 

Hakyeon willed his tears away, lifted his head and came face-to-face with the one person he’s been worrying about all afternoon. He was pretty sure if they were in a drama, this moment would be dramatically played on slow motion with heart-wrenching soundtrack at the back but what he felt as he lift his head up and saw Sanghyuk standing there with a half guilty half sheepish smile on his face was worth a dramatic editing. Relief lets tension out of his body, one that has been holding him up all afternoon and he couldn’t help but to fold onto himself: he dropped into a squat, hide his face on his thigh and proceed to cry. 

 

Which sends the other two scrambling and panicking.

 

“Hyung, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Sanghyuk crouched down in front of him, hand awkwardly hovering over his brother’s sobbing figure. “I freaked out, my phone broke and I don’t want to face you so I just ran and I really don’t know what to do. I’m sorry, I should’ve came straight back home and told you every-“

 

Hakyeon hastily pulled him into a hug, sending the both of them into a tangled mess on the floor that will for sure later got their feet at least a sprain or something but he couldn’t care less. Not when he got his brother home.

 

“Hyuk-ie I swear you are grounded until you’re married” Hakyeon said in between his tears. Sanghyuk chuckled in his brother’s embrace, trying to calm him down with awkward pat on his back. “Do you know how worried I am?”

 

“I’m sorry, hyung,” Sanghyuk figured he should just keep apologizing until his brother calmed down.

 

“What happened? Where did you go? Did you get a girl pregnant?”

 

“No! Hyung, you know I don’t swing that way,”

 

“Was it drugs? Because if it is, I would help you. I know this rehab-“

 

“Hyung, I would never-“

 

“Did I do something wrong? Was it something I said? Something I do?”

 

“No, God, no. It’s nothing you did hyung,”

 

“Then what was it? Hyuk-ah, I thought you were dead,” Hakyeon continued to sob on his shoulder.

 

“Hyung, I was only gone for six hours,”

 

“It felt longer than that when I don’t know where you are or what happened to you,” Hakyeon finally lift his head up from his brother’s shoulder and held his face in his hands.

 

“I know, I was stupid. I’m really, _really_  sorry, hyung,”

 

Hakyeon was still sniffling when he finally got a good look at his brother’s face and notice all the cuts and bruises and proceed to freak out.

 

“What happened to your face?!” He said a tad bit hysterically as he hovered his fingers over the wounds. " _And is that soju I'm smelling on you?"_  


 

Sanghyuk threw a nervous glance at Taekwoon who just nodded reassuringly at him. “Talk inside, Hakyeon-ah. It mustn’t have been comfortable down there,” He said as they gently helped him stand and ushered him inside. Hakyeon hold Sanghyuk’s hand and pulled him to the couch, starting to examine his injuries.

 

“I’m going to make some tea, you guys talk,” Taekwoon said, walking to the kitchen and got himself busy. He’s trying to give the two of them space to talk and while neither brothers really mind having Taekwoon there- he’s family at this point, really- they could really use a moment alone. 

 

Sanghyuk flinched when Hakyeon ran his fingers over the cut on his chin. “Sorry,”

 

“It’s okay, hyung. The school nurse cleaned them, even bandaged my hand,” He showed Hakyeon his bandaged wrist. He added quickly before his brother can fuss even more. “It’s just a sprain, don’t worry,”

 

“Anything else hurt?”

 

Sanghyuk shook his head, avoiding Hakyeon’s gaze, all of a sudden finding the floor very interesting.

 

“Hyuk-ah, look at me,” Hakyeon asked gently, as if afraid if he talked too loud or too harsh, Sanghyuk would breakdown. He wasn’t far from it, to be honest. Because as he lifted his face and looked his brother in the eye, he found nothing but love and understanding. 

 

And as Hakyeon held his hand, warm and comfortable and it feels like _home_ , Sanghyuk cannot stop the explanation that started coming out of his mouth. He told Hakyeon about how he had known for a while about the seniors bullying on of his classmates over some girl who does not even like the senior, how Sanghyuk never interfere because it had never gotten _that_  bad but today his friend came to school limping and no one really noticed because he said he tripped over the staircase but Sanghyuk know better, how when he walked around the school building to take the back exit that afternoon he saw the same seniors hitting his classmate and he _had_  to do something because there were _five_  of them and so he fought back.

 

He kept babbling and babbling and Hakyeon did not say a thing through it all, only listening with so much understanding and acceptance in his eyes because he trusted Sanghyuk with all his heart and Sanghyuk continued talking about the fight and everything beyond that.

 

He’s crying by the end of it yet he felt better than he did all day.

 

“Oh, Hyuk-ah,” Hakyeon exclaimed quietly as he pulled Sanghyuk into a hug.

 

“I’m really sorry, hyung,” Sanghyuk apologized for what felt like the hundredth time that day but he felt so much remorse and apologizing is the only thing he can do at this point.

 

Hakyeon ran his hand through his hair, gentle and calming, and Sanghyuk felt six years old again: afraid of the dark and latching himself to his older brother for some comfort and security. 

 

“You did nothing wrong. You could never disappoint me, especially not over something like this”

 

Sanghyuk sniffled, tightening his arms around his brother. He wasn’t usually this touchy but the combination of alcohol and his problems got him abandoning his pride for the comfort his brother had to offer.

 

“You said his mother is on the school board? That’s why she can get you suspended?” 

 

Sanghyuk nodded.

 

“I’ll talk to your principal. He can’t do you wrong like this just because that bully got a mother on the school board. What a _bitch_. I thought that school is better than this,” Hakyeon started to get irritated, plotting revenge in his head already. Sanghyuk chuckled and started to disentangled himself from Hakyeon. He gratefully took a sip out of the steaming mug of hot tea Taekwoon had put for them on the table.

 

“Woon-ah,” Hakyeon looked up at his boyfried who was watching silently from the kitchen table.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Help me?” 

 

Taekwoon smiled as he walked towards the brothers and took a seat in front of them. “Of course. We could request for CCTV footage and ask for a testimony from your friend who was bullied. Has anybody else but you seen this guy got bullied?” He asked Sanghyuk.

 

“Well, I was going to ask you to get me out of jail if i got ahold of this _wicked witch_  because I’m going to- but anyway, your plan sounds way better,” Hakyeon said seriously, eliciting a laugh from the other two. He glared at them as if telling them that he’s serious and it got them to shut up.

 

“A few kids were there when it happened, I think one of them got their phone out but I don’t know whether they took any photos or videos,”

 

The young police officer nodded, taking in the information. “Best case, the CCTV works and one of the kid record something and theres a video somewhere out there that could prove that these guys are bully, which wouldn’t really help them even with a mother on the school board because we could bring this case to the police with such evidence,”

 

“And worst case?” Asked Hakyeon.

 

"Worst case, there are no evidence whatsoever of the bullying and the fight, but we could argue that having a student expelled for fighting from such a prestigious school could rouse some rumors and stain the perfect record and reputation of the school, so at least you won’t be expelled,” Taekwoon concluded. “Tomorrow I’ll check with the school about the CCTV footage. You ask around for witnesses,”

 

Hakyeon turned to him, “We’ll figure this out together, okay? I’ll take a day off and talk to your principal. Oh, and if everything else fails, I’ll give Hongbin a call. His father works for the mayor, right? He got to know someone from the educational board. Your brother is friend with some powerful people too, you know” He nudged Taekwoon who just smile.

 

And at that moment Sanghyuk felt stupid for running away, for making a fuss out of a solvable problem, for letting his insecurities get the best of him and worrying the people he loved.

 

He was going to apologize again when Hakyeon beat him to it.

 

“Stop. That’s enough ‘I’m sorry’ for a day. I’ve never heard of you apologizing that much in the 19 years I’ve known you,” He stood up, pulled Sanghyuk up and ushered him to the bathroom. “To think of it, I think you apologized to me more today than the past 19 years,”

 

“I didn’t-“ Sanghyuk spluttered but then he saw the playful glint on his brothers’ eyes and he played along. “I didn’t have anything to apologize for before this,”

 

His brother snorted. “Yeah, tell that to your middle school principal, you punk,” 

 

He ruffled his hair. “For now, take a bath, drink a lot -and I mean a LOT- of water and sleep. Tomorrow when you’re well rested and not under the influence of alcohol or worse, your feelings,” Sanghyuk laughed and gave Hakyeon a light shove, “ Tomorrow morning, we’ll talk some more, okay?”

 

He just nodded in response, snatching his towel from the rack and walked into the bathroom as Hakyeon walked to the kitchen for some water that Sanghyuk is sure he’s going to force him to drink later. 

 

“Hyung?”

 

Hakyeon turned his head and show him a knowing smile. “I know, I know. I’m your favorite and possibly the best brother in the world,” 

 

They both laughed, light and easy.

 

“How could there be a favorite when I only have one,” Sanghyuk replied as he closed the door. 

 

He know that tomorrow he will wake up with one hell of a headache, a lot of embarrassment and he would probably have to deal with Hakyeon making fun of him crying so pitifully for at least the next month. But he also knew that things are going to be okay: that the two of them are doing okay.

 

After all, they’ve got each other.


End file.
